"International Day of the Girls 2013: Stories from CARE Bangladesh - Community moved to the Govt. Primary School"

07 October, 2013
Dhalkutub Govt. Primary School is situated in a deep haor of Derai sub district. The communication of this place is disrupted from the main land of Derai. During last one year School Management Committee (SMC) and school teachers’ had taken different initiatives for performing their roles and responsibilities assigned by the Govt’ in this recourse constrain remote situation. Sohena Begum is a mother of a child from Dhalkutub Govt. Primary school. Her daughter Tanjina reads in class four at Dhalkutub primary school. In 2011 her daughter was in FIVDB School (NGO school) in grade five. At that time education expenditure was less in FIVDB school compared to the govt. primary school. There were no school fees in this school. Books, pen and pencil and other school supplies were given free in FIVDB school. For these reason, Sohana and many other parents choose those schools for their children. Because of the poor education quality of Dhalkutub Govt. Primary School parents did not prefer that; even though Govt’ had stipend programme at that time for poor meritorious children.

Sohana observed the improvement of Dhalkutub Govt. Primary School in their area, the teachers become more active, SMC is taking different initiatives for the children and in parallel FIVDB school did not have the permission for primary completion exam. at that time and they did not fulfill other commitments even. In this situation she decided to transfer her daughter to the DhalKutub Govt. Primary School. Like many other parents she went to the president of SMC and expressed her desire. Understanding the situation president of SMC told them to wait for January; which is the proper season for admission in Govt’ primary school. In the mean time FIVDB school was closed just before the exam. Tanjina and many other students were at danger to drop out. Two other FIVDB schools in the same area were being closed and more then 40-50 students don't have any document of their study. As Tanjina and her friends had no document of their study Dhalkutub Govt. Primary School did not agree to admit them in the respective classes.

Hearing from Sohana and other parents SMC members took initiative to meet with head teacher of Dhalkutub Govt. Primary School and arranged meetings several time to get the drop out children in the school. SMC members requested to the Head teacher to admit them in school. In one stage head teacher become convinced and give permission to admit the children in his school. But that was the middle of the year. Teachers of Dhalkutub Govt. Primary School took verbal test of Tanjina and her friends to test their eligibility. During January 2012 head teacher and SMC committee of Dhalkutub Govt. Primary School decided to admit the students in school at respective grades according to their eligibility.

Today Sohena is happy to see her daughter in Govt’ primary school and she said because of SMC members and School teachers her daughter is being able to read in the school and the quality of education in govt. primary school is much better than the FIVDB School. Three years ago there were only 50-60 students in their govt. primary school and now there are 250 students in this school.